Bursting with energy and yearning to make an impact in academic circles, Mohammed Durbar, now 87, had completed his PhD in History from the Wadia college in Pune, India, in 1956 when he decided to pivot and move to Karachi.
He was encouraged by Syedna Taher Saifuddin, the 51st leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, to look for business opportunities in the bustling port city.
“Initially, I did not understand what to do, but I never looked back,” said Durbar.
He was among many such community members who took inspiration from the late leader’s guidance and went on to lead successful lives wherever they went.
Karachi—like many towns in the western parts of the subcontinent—has been home to Bohras for centuries. As the Dawoodi Bohras of Karachi open their homes and hearts to host community members from different parts of the world for Ashara Mubaraka 1446H (2024), we spoke to a few notable pioneers about their recollections on life in this vibrant city.
Early Migrations and Settlements: The Dawoodi Bohras' Journey to Karachi
Saifuddin Adeeb, 71, recounts the early migration of Dawoodi Bohras to Karachi following the devastating famine in Kathiawar (now Gujarat, India) in the early 18th century. Displaced and seeking new opportunities, nearly 12,000 Bohras found refuge under the guidance of the 43rd Dai, Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin, who provided them with sustenance before encouraging them to venture out for their livelihoods. Many community members migrated to East Africa while some went north from the port of Kutch towards Karachi.
This initial migration marked the beginning of the Bohras' presence in Karachi, with steady growth throughout the 19th century. The second significant wave came post-Partition, further increasing their numbers and influence in the city.
In his book, A Fitting Tribute, Mustafa Jivanjee, 68, writes that after Karachi was annexed by the British as part of the Sindh province, trade and commerce started flourishing in the city.
“By the 1850s, the Bohra population in Karachi grew much larger like that of the population of Bohras in other cities.”
Zoaib Mithaiwala, 83, said the first known settlement of the Bohras was in the Saddar area which was the location of the army’s cantonment during the British Raj (the Raj).
“It is my understanding that Bohras had good business relations with the British as they (the British) appreciated their honesty and ease-of-doing business.”
Mithaiwala explained that, during the British Raj, Bohras ran successful supply businesses, providing wholesale items ranging from steel to daily rations for the stationed regiments. This established their reputation for honesty and reliability.
Mithaiwala’s grandfather used to frequent Karachi from his native, Rampura, for trade in the early 20th century.
“My grandfather was a simple man. He used to come to Karachi to do business for one-and-a-half or two years and would then board up everything and go back to his native to stay there for 8 months or so,” he said.
“During the Raj, Dawoodi Bohras lived in two main areas: Saddar and Saifee Nagar where the latter had merely 500-600 sq. ft homes built two floors above the ground housing two to three families,” said Mithaiwala.
He said that Syedna Taher Saifuddin was instrumental in settling Dawoodi Bohra families in a more spacious housing colony.
“I recall in 1958, Syedna Taher Saifuddin instructed community members to acquire lands in the North Nazimabad area,” said Durbar. The area known as Barakat-e-Haidery (Haidery) was in a remote location bordering a jungle.
Syedna Taher Saifuddin visited the area in 1961 to lay the foundation stone of the first three buildings. Thus began the gradual growth of the community in and around Haidery.
Shabbir Sadriwala breaks down the Haidery settlements in three phases: “70s was the decade of the newcomers; by the 80s, the colony was saturated and by the 90s it became overcrowded.”
Mithaiwala said that Haidery was one of the three colonies including Shabbirabad and Modern Colony that attracted Dawoodi Bohra families and became prominent community settlements.
Today, Dawoodi Bohra homes are spread throughout the mainstream areas of Karachi and are mostly clustered in mohallahs or colonies which are formed around Dawoodi Bohra Masjids. Among these, two hold great significance—Adam masjid for its antiquity and Taheri masjid for its more recent history.
Saifuddin Adeeb said that the Adam masjid in the old city area is one of the oldest Dawoodi Bohra masjids in Karachi inaugurated in 1931. According to Sadriwala, back in the day, the area was known as Gaam or town where community members lived near the masjid.
“A unique feature of that masjid is that it was built entirely of red sandstone, which was a popular architectural style of the time,” said Sadriwala.
On the topic of Adam masjid, Mustafa Jivanjee said: “The red sandstone was brought from Jodhpur which is renowned for its sandstone quarries. In addition to its beautiful facade, the masjid features exemplary woodwork and intricate carvings.”
Taheri masjid in the Saddar area was inaugurated only 42 years ago by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. Since then, it has been the chosen venue for every Ashara Mubaraka event in Karachi by both Syedna Burhanuddin and his successor, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
Karachi serves as one of the largest settlements of Bohras worldwide with 18 colonies that are home to more than 35,000 community members spread from Haidery in the North to Defence in the South and Adam masjid in the West to Model Colony in the East.
Business Pioneers: Building Karachi’s Commercial Landscape
Dawoodi Bohras in Karachi have made a name for themselves for their honesty and a business mindset that runs deep in the community’s ethos. Sadriwala, a second generation resident, remembers the time his father came to the city with nothing.
“My father came here in 1948 and immediately went about setting up a business. He passed away too soon at 53, but not before setting up a successful industry within the short span of 20 years.”
He said that in those times, many Dawoodi Bohras engaged in the wood, timber, glass and hardware industries.
Mohammed Durbar recalls, “Syedna Taher Saifuddin frequently visited our community, always encouraging us to strive for progress and development. His vision and leadership inspired many of us to pursue new business ventures and educational opportunities.
“I remember at the time, many Bohra families had swathes of land from which they earned a regular income. This led to a lax attitude towards conducting business activities. Like an affectionate father, Syedna counselled us to put more effort in setting up shops, and for those who had the means, in setting up factories.”
Durbar says that he took up the challenge of venturing into business activities with gusto.
“When I set myself upon a project, I put in four times the effort to make the most of it.”
He recalled an instance when he went to Singapore and met a professor friend who was a minister in South Korea. At the time, South Korea was facing a shortage of red chillies due to a crop failure and was looking for an exporter. Durbar used to run a small-scale spice business in Pakistan and called up his employees to enquire about the prospects and found that he had the means to export the commodity. To his astonishment, he ended up shipping nearly 7,000 tonnes of chilli with a handsome profit.
Mustafa Jivanjee’s family have lived in Karachi since the 1850s where his maternal great great grandfather, Sheikh Jivanjee, had the opportunity to interact with the 47th Dai, Syedna Abdulqadir Najmuddin, when he visited Karachi. Saifuddin Adeeb said that he had heard from his elders that Syedna Abdulqadir Najmuddin was the first al-Dai al-Mutlaq ever to visit Karachi.
Back then, Jivanjee’s paternal great grandfather used to work as a labourer who plied a horse cart to move heavy loads.
He has a similar observation about Syedna Taher Saifuddin’s vision and leadership in convincing community members to embrace the city of lights.
“Even before the 51st Dai Syedna Taher Saifuddin, the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin encouraged community members to venture out for better prospects in East Africa. In a similar vein, Syedna Taher Saifuddin encouraged young community members to make Karachi their home.”
Abid Quettawala, 74, describes the 52nd Dai Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin’s directives as a continuation of guidance that anchored the community through the vicissitudes of time. Syedna’s advice can be summarised in these words: expand your endeavour.
“The one thing that I tell people is that Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin was an exceptional visionary. Within a short span of time, he transformed the community in so many aspects.
“There are many examples of community members who paid heed to Syedna’s counsels and experienced exponential growth.”
Jivanjee believes that attending the annual Ashara Mubaraka event held a significant role in the community’s overall progress.
He said that—in addition to spiritual growth—attending the 10-day event at international locations exposed Karachi Bohras to people from all walks of life which opened unexpected doors of opportunity.
“I know a lot of people who used to do a retail business in Karachi and have now become exporters just because of the connections made during such interactions.”
Modern Times
Murtaza Bandookwala, 56, is an American citizen settled there since the past 20 years. His grandfather, Husain Bandookwala, was a prominent businessman and a highly regarded individual within the community for his leadership and selfless services.
Bandookwala said his grandfather maintained a diligent work-life balance which made him a role model within the community.
He said that post partition, he helped a lot of community members who migrated to Pakistan and supported them through the transition which “made a lot of difference”.
“Even today, when I am in Karachi, people come to me and acknowledge my grandfather's contribution to their families at that time.
“I know some people under my grandfather’s employment who went on to become prominent businessmen in their own right,” he said.
Bandookwala says that despite living in the US, he cherishes his roots and makes sure that his children know what Karachi is all about.
For the thousands of Dawoodi Bohras who call Karachi home, the city means more than just a place for material progress. The sense of belonging, community and helping out is ingrained in their value system and is meant not just for the community, but also for the larger society.
These values find roots in the guidance of the Syednas throughout the ages who led by example and taught community members how to give back to society.
In 1963, Syedna Taher Saifuddin endowed the Saifee Eide Zahabi Institute of Science and Technology in Karachi which Mustafa Jivanjee said had a “very high standard” that helped its graduates excel in their careers.
In 2004, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin made a significant contribution to the University of Karachi when he endowed the construction of a two-storeyed building for the Department of Genetics.
More recently in 2023, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin contributed to the University of Karachi with the construction of a building at the School of Law. The newly inaugurated facility now enables the simultaneous pursuit of multiple law programs and has significantly expanded the capacity for graduate and postgraduate students.
Institutions such as the Saifee Hospital and al Naadi al Burhani sports complex are other examples of how the community is making a marked difference in society.
Today, community members have established successful verticals across a spectrum of businesses and professional pursuits including medicine, information technology, engineering, architecture, manufacturing and law firms.
For the Dawoodi Bohras of Karachi, Ashara Mubaraka represents not just a religious observance but a transformative milestone in their journey. It is a crowning moment that commemorates their rich history, remarkable growth, and significant contributions to both their community and the wider society. It is an event that underscores the enduring values of unity, progress, and philanthropy that define the Dawoodi Bohras.
As they look to the future, the Dawoodi Bohras continue to honour their heritage while contributing to the city’s ongoing development and prosperity.
